America-based Cone Denim LLC has a denim heritage dating back to 1891 and is an important actor in the global market in denim fabric production. Cone always prioritizes quality in their work and prefers the Loepfe solution for cleaning technology, one of the most important factors in obtaining yarn quality. Cone Denim President Steve Maggard had an interview with Loepfe’s Head of Products and Solutions Guido Wieland, about the company‘s innovations, challenging production of dual-core flexible yarns and their sustainability vision.
Cone Denim offers unique collections of performance, stretch, selvage, and natural indigo denims crafted out of their very own Cone® 3D R&D incubator. They range from performance denims and superior S Gene® technology to vintage re-creations of Cone® Deeptone Denim reaching back to the early 1900s. With mills strategically located in China and Mexico, Cone Denim is excellently positioned to make a strong contribution to their long-term strategy of providing customers with innovative and market-driven denims and services from a global network of manufacturing platforms.
Loepfe technology brings quality advantage to Cone Denim
Cone Denim President Steve Maggard said they chose Loepfe for the reliability and flexibility in cleaning technology, adding that the ability to clean fancy yarns and monitor splicing quality are key factors they consider when choosing their cleaning technology. Maggard stated that dual-core stretch yarns are produced using both normal and slub yarn patterns and said that the ability to monitor and clean both yarn types with precision cleaning technology is a must for quality standards. Maggard emphasized the importance of splice monitoring and quality clearing and stated that the Loepfe technology allows them to monitor and remove any splices that do not meet the quality parameters.
Advanced S Gene® technology enhances stretch denim performance
Maggard gave information about Cone Denim’s S Gene® dual-core technology, creating a new global standard for stretch denim and explained that this technology was developed by their own product development departments. Maggard shared the following details on the subject:
“Lead developers included Allen Little, Cone Denim’s Director Product Development; Reuben Hart, Technical Support Specialist; and former Cone Denim developer Ralph Tharpe, who were all part of the original team that worked to create the revolutionary S Gene® technology. S Gene® technology changed the performance of stretch denim creating not only superior stretch but never before seen recovery, eliminating baggy knees and waistbands and improving fit and comfort throughout the day. The advanced S Gene® technology led to the tremendous growth of stretch technology in denim”.
“We have a long history of sustainable manufacturing spanning over 128 years”
Maggard expressed that they feel that their denim customers are moving towards a more sustainable approach for both denim and garment production and stated that as Cone Denim has a long history of sustainable manufacturing spanning over 128 years. Maggard relayed that they continue to be a global leader focused on developing and investing in technologies to improve production processes and minimize their environmental impact, and said; “We know this is increasingly important to our customers and we are proud to be a valued partner in achieving their innovation and sustainability goals”.
Loepfe Zenit+; high quality, low cost
While core yarns in which the elastane is not perfectly spun into the fibre strand often lead to increased costs, Loepfe Zenit+ offers many advantages in yarn clearing. It provides precise detection of foreign matter and the smallest shade variations in raw white and dyed yarn, as well as faults related to the raw material, and secure detection of white and transparent polypropylene. In addition, it performs fault classification with detection of spinning process-related faults (NSLT) and has features such as automatic removal off-standard bobbins, reliable quality control for fancy and core yarns, alarm functions based on smart thresholds and automated dust compensation. Loepfe Zenit+ guarantees easy use and reproducible high-quality thanks to its recallable settings and offers low operating costs with its maintenance-friendly design.